Here in Florida, we are struggling to find a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of Irma. Hurricane Irma blew in and left devastation in her wake. The Florida Keys are a shadow of their former selves, and both the East and West coasts saw their fare share of damage . Millions of people lost power , and while FPL ( Florida Power and Light) is working valiantly , it may be a while power is restored in the whole state. My husband, and I  lost power for for 28 hours while riding out the storm with my sister-in-law,  niece, nephew, and cousin. It was hot and miserable, but while we were lucky to have our power restored, many people have not been as fortunate.

Let’s talk about cabin fever. Everybody in Florida experienced a severe case of it during and after the storm, and until curfews were lifted. Something as simple as just walking outside and seeing the sunshine has done a lot to restore us, and help us start to feeling whole again. 

Today my husband is back at work. I work as a paraprofessional at an elementary school, and schools are closed until Monday. So when my best friend texted me this morning and asked if I wanted to go to the mall with her and her daughter, I said yes. After all the pre-storm, and post-storm stress, it felt so good to go out and do something normal. 

This was not our first hurricane, and most likely won’t be the last. Like the Phoenix, we will rise from the ashes. We are strong. We are Florida.